Michael Wolfe wanted to do something to honor his late parents — something that would be unique and serve as a lasting reminder of their love of nature.

He looked no further than the backyard of his parents’ North Topeka home, where an old oak tree that had seen better days needed to be cut down.

Rather than bring the tree all the way to the ground, Wolfe, 60, decided to leave about 8 feet standing and find someone who could use a chainsaw to carve out a sculpture of St. Francis of Assisi out of what was left.

“I wanted to honor their love of nature, especially birds,” Wolfe said, “and I thought about St. Francis.”

Wolfe went online and searched for woodcarvers who lived in the Topeka vicinity. Soon, he came across Russ Ehart, an award-winning chainsaw artist from Tonganoxie.

Wolfe called Ehart and shared his vision for a sculpture of St. Francis in what was left of the old oak tree.

Ehart, 56, who has never met a tree he couldn’t carve, was up for the project, and earlier this month started working on the tree.

By Saturday afternoon, he and his fellow chainsaw artist Codie Thomas, 23, also of Tonganoxie, had completed the basic outline of the sculpture. Detail carving remained, and Ehart said that should take about 10 more hours. The entire project was to be completed in around 20 hours.

After the carving is done and the weather warms up, Ehart will apply a coat of varnish to help preserve the sculpture.

Wolfe said it was the perfect tribute to his parents — father Bobbie and mother Doris Wolfe. Bobbie Wolfe died in September 2009 at age 80, while his mother died about at age 78 in October 2012.

The sculpture features St. Francis wearing a cassock holding a bird in his hands with another bird perched on his left shoulder.

Wolfe said he quit his job as a hairdresser and photographer in the Kansas City area a few years ago and came to his parents’ home to care for his mother, who was terminally ill from cancer. His father had already died.

Wolfe said his mother’s hospital bed was arranged so she could look out a large window and see the many birds that would come to the feeders in the backyard.

Looking at the nearly completed sculpture on Saturday afternoon, Wolfe said he was “just thrilled” with how the project was taking shape.

Ehart said he was enjoying working on the tree in the back of Wolfe’s home.

He was quick to compliment his fellow artist, Thomas, who had a big hand in the project.

Ehart said he has come across chainsaw carvers who use a “tag-team” approach in which they take turns carving, but don’t work at the same time.

He said he and Thomas actually carve at the same time, something he said almost never happens.

“It’s almost unheard of,” Ehart said. “It takes total trust with the other person.”

Ehart started sculpting in 1994, when he took up hand-carving after a construction accident laid him up with a bad back.

In 2000, he picked up a chainsaw and began using that for some larger project.

Ehart, who also works feeding cattle near Tonganoxie, said having experience as a hand-carver “gave me a big advantage over a lot of the guys” who have only used chainsaws.

Ehart has traveled across the country to do his carvings, which include a wide array of subjects including such well-known people as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., John Wayne and Elvis Presley.

He also has carved a variety of Indian chiefs, fish and even a pencil that was about 8-feet tall. Morrell mushrooms also are a favorite topic.

By 2003, Ehart had established himself on the international chainsaw carving scene, taking fourth in the world.

Thomas, who works at Kohl’s, said she got connected with Ehart through a mutual friend, who told her she might be able to make some extra change by helping Ehart with some of his carving projects.

Thomas gave it a go and before long was deftly using a chainsaw — albeit a much smaller one than Ehart uses — and was on her way as a chainsaw artist in her own right.

“I love it,” she said, “I call it my hobby. I do it in my spare time.”

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